Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA)

Change takes place in communities when residents take responsibility for and participate in their own initiatives for positive change. However, certain skills are necessary for those initiatives to be successful. Five years ago, LAA established the Neighborhood Leadership Academy (NLA) to address this need for a skill-based leadership program.

NLA is targeted to current and emerging grassroots leaders in neighborhoods throughout Anne Arundel County, providing residents of Anne Arundel County communities with skill-based leadership training. NLA helps participants become adept in leadership roles by focusing on improving skills such as effective communications and building consensus. It is the only program of its kind in the state of Maryland.

If you are ready to assume personal responsibility for improving the quality of life within your community in Anne Arundel County, then apply today. Experience our non-traditional teaching approaches that will nurture and develop your leadership skills. Then apply those skills to at least one self-directed community service project during the course.

Each year 30 - 40 participants meet over two Friday and 12 Saturday sessions (generally every other week) from November through May. In June, the class graduates with other Leadership Anne Arundel classes at our gala dinner, a Tribute to Community Leadership.

Components of Neighborhood Leadership Academy

The curriculum combines skills concepts and practical applications. Participants learn community-building skills such as collaboration, assessing community needs, appreciating diversity, developing and utilizing resources, communicating effectively, and networking. Those skills are then combined with the fundamentals of project management to prepare Academy graduates to undertake and follow through with community improvement activities.

Every participant is expected to:
• Complete at least one self-directed community service project during the project year

• Increase his or her understanding of the key components of NLA’s curriculum

• Attend a minimum of 75% of the program sessions

• Be actively involved in community organizations

• Actively participate in the future development and implementation of the NLA after graduation

NLA sessions are led by well-respected citizens in touch with the challenges and opportunities within grassroots communities. NLA uses evaluators to provide feedback to participants on their growth and participation levels during the forums. These evaluators also ask participants their opinions on the effectiveness of program components such as appropriate group activities, quality of presentations, and the relevancy of program philosophy and techniques. Each NLA graduating class, therefore, participates in the betterment of the program for next year’s class.

Skill Sets Developed in NLA

Current activities being undertaken to further our mission are monthly sessions covering the following topics:

• Understanding Leadership
• Effective Communication
• Conducting Successful Meetings
• Group Problem Solving and Decision Making
• Understanding Values
• Valuing Community Diversity
• Community Socio-Demographic Profile
• Understanding Community Needs
• Managing Conflict
• Financial Management
• Time Management
• Community Leaders' Role in Economic Development
• Local Government
• Building Communities through Partnerships and Collaborations

Click here to meet the members of previous Neighborhood Leadership Academy classes.